Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Page 62

“Me?” The officer smiled and saluted the general. “My name is Eddie Hill Groon.”

"Very good, child, I'll remember you..."

……

Section 76, Chapter 47: The Out-of-Stock Sleeping Pills

Slowly, the hands of the clock passed ten o'clock at night.

In an instant, Katyusha's song ended, and Berlin, like the receding tide, quieted down considerably. What had been a cacophony of artillery, tanks, and guns had become a simple solo of shells; the sounds of voices and machinery no longer echoed from the streets, leaving only the monotonous and tedious drumbeats.

Yes, it is the drumsticks of gunpowder and the drumheads of the brick maze that tirelessly pound Berlin's eardrums, keeping the heart of Berlin—the Reichstag—in a constant, surging sonic wave, unable to escape or sleep.

"Bring the chair over..."

In the command center, Marendo called over a guard and brought him a place to sit, right next to the map table.

Where was he sitting before? In front of a table next to him, or more precisely, in front of the table he used as a tea table. There was nothing on the table except for a small ceramic teacup standing in the center of a small tray and a teapot.

The teacup was still full of black tea, and when the teapot lid was opened, the teapot was also not empty, but it was all cold.

Yeah, it's gone cold, it's been cold for too long.

Around eight o'clock in the evening, he ordered his troops to begin their attack in the east, south, and north. Two hours passed by in this way, passing by the map table in front of him. He even forgot to take out a cigar to savor, and he even forgot to turn back to pick up his tea.

How many of those teapots would he need to fill the two hours it took for the Imperial warriors to bleed from their wounds and deaths?

Four figures for death toll, four figures for wounded, six or seven thousand casualties, and this doesn't even include those already deafened and terrified...

For the first time, the great Holy Britannian Empire lost nearly 20,000 warriors in less than 12 hours, either their lives or the courage and means to go to battle. Just a few days earlier, the vanguard numbered only 10,000, and after holding out for 48 hours, their casualties were equal to the cost of this one night.

The most terrifying thing is that the casualties you can inflict on the enemy are not even enough to cover the achievements of the vanguard—Caronville! Are you a human or a demon? Or is the report you submitted a forgery?

The general was starting to doubt his own judgment. He was under so much pressure that he dared not send any more troops to launch an attack, because doing so could very well end up like what that kid Groen had just said: burning the national flag.

"General, would you like a fresh pot of hot tea?" asked the guard who brought him a stool.

"Cough... never mind." The general's voice was deep. "It's cold, it'll wake you up..."

"Ok."

……

The general took a sip of the chilled black tea, sipped it, and then scratched his head.

“Eddisir.” He stood up and called to the officer who was still standing guard behind the communications soldiers, “Tell me when the enemy makes any new moves.”

“Yes, sir.” Edisil nodded, watching the major general slowly walk to another table, sit down, take out a piece of white paper and a pen, and begin to write something.

……

The city of Berlin rose and fell with the strokes of the general's pen, amidst the booming drums of artillery fire, and the gunfights that should have been taking place in the four directions of the city were gone.

Right next to Mahersdorf to the west lies another district of Berlin called Karlsdorf. The Britannian soldiers, who had just escaped the steel maze of Mahersdorf, were here, guarding this area with reinforcements arriving from the rear—this was the general's order.

At the intersection and along the main street, at intervals, steel formations of KMF mechs and armored vehicles, surrounded by varying numbers of infantry, guarded the land beneath their feet. The KMF mechs and vehicles turned on their high beams, and the infantry used night vision goggles, striving to ensure that there were no dark blind spots on the eastern street that the enemy could exploit.

The faint hum of the KMF and tank engines, the breathing of the pilots, crews, and infantry, made Karlsdorf, which was merely submerged in flames, feel as if it were facing a formidable enemy. Every soldier who had just retreated from the east did not want Karlsdorf to become a second sky graveyard if they had to hold out there.

Because they knew perfectly well what terrible things were to the east, and they had experienced it firsthand.

Especially at one intersection, two Sunderland soldiers and two assault gunners, along with their infantry, were guarding the place. Amidst the occasional explosions of artillery shells around them, they seemed to hear a strange noise.

"Hey! What's wrong with your KMF?" a Sunderland pilot asked another pilot.

He noticed that the man next to him was shaking his arms, which were holding a gun, and making a buzzing sound like a meat grinder in operation. Could it be a mechanical malfunction?

“Lieutenant, Lieutenant…” In the cockpit of that Sunderland mech, the pilot’s hands, gripping the control stick, were trembling violently, and then he lifted the mech’s mechanical arm up as well.

"me……"

"Are you nervous and scared? Listen carefully! Now, have Sunderland crouch down, open the hatch, and get back on the ground. I'll show you how!"

"h...okay...hatch door, hatch door..."

"Take your hand off the lever! You'll accidentally fire it like that, you idiot!"

"Ah, I understand... I understand..." Sunderland's mechanical arm finally stopped shaking, but before the knight could even crouch down, its cockpit hatch opened!

"Wow!--"

The mentally unstable pilot accidentally fell from a height of more than two meters, landing in front of the group of people who were terrified.

"Damn it... everyone stay alert, I'll handle this guy!"

……

So what are the Soviet soldiers who have retreated back to the outskirts of Makhsdorf doing now on the other side of the battlefield?

Lemilia and his men had returned to the place where they had beaten up a group of thugs with that T-34 tank. There was nothing on the street except for things that were almost burned to a crisp.

Yes, a fierce attack followed by a Katyusha spray has terrified the enemy so much that they dare not come back, nor can they sleep peacefully. Tonight, your task is to keep the thugs teetering on the edge of sleep and being forbidden to sleep. This feint attack will essentially achieve its objective.

Soviet soldiers stood at the windows with their guns at the ready, but their eyes were no longer as wary as before. Instead, they looked quite calm, like they were sitting in an opera house waiting for a ballet performance to begin.

Moreover, this was only a portion of the people responsible for surveillance. Many soldiers were already wrapped in their uniforms and asleep against the wall—yes, they wouldn't allow others to sleep while they themselves slept comfortably. War is so unfair, and the Soviets are so ruthless.

There were even more scoundrels among them. Beside Lemilia, a soldier smacked his lips and pulled a small, palm-sized flask from his robes. As soon as the lid was opened, the other soldiers, drawn by the smacking sound and the smell of alcohol wafting from the flask, gathered around.

"How much do you have left? Huh?" Everyone gathered around, some taking out their wine jugs, others taking out their water jugs—it looked like they were going to dilute their wine to satisfy their cravings.

"That's all for now!" The soldier wiped his mouth, then looked up at the lieutenant with a smirk.

"Comrade!" The soldier, with a broad smile, handed over his wine jug, which Lemilia accepted with a knowing look.

"Ah, vodka!" The lieutenant first took a sniff, then laughed even more heartily, before raising his hand and gulping down the contents of the flask.

"Alright, alright! Keep your voices down!" The lieutenant returned the flask, then took out his own. "Here you go. You guys who want to dilute it, don't disturb the others. I need to take a nap too!"

"okay!"

……

It's quite interesting that, inside and outside Berlin, amidst the booming of artillery, such contrasting dramas are unfolding. For the next few hours, there probably won't be any fighting within the city—one side is afraid, and the other is waiting.

Let's take a look at another city where it's a bit hard to fall asleep.

Our gaze returns once again to the Farben Building in Frankfurt, where a person is standing by a window.

Yes, it was still Eisenhower. He had finished a whole day of work, including all the "important and urgent," "urgent but not important," and "important but not urgent" tasks. For nearly 20 hours, the general's nerves had not relaxed at all.

If meeting with Zhukov was a scripted play, then his return to the Farben Building after hearing about the incident on the US-Soviet border was like filming a movie in complete darkness.

……

Around 5:30 p.m., the general stormed into the building’s conference room with a hint of resentment. The corps and division commanders of the troops stationed around Frankfurt, including Patton, the commander of the Vase Army Group, had been sitting there for quite some time, following the telegram sent by Eck from the flight.

"Alright, everyone, can someone summarize what exactly happened near Wildek today?"

After a heated debate, some of the criticism turned to the general who was spouting profanities. After all, the implication was that without Patton's chaotic phone calls today, Zhukov probably wouldn't have received that telegram just hours before the meeting was about to end, and wouldn't have stopped Ike from leaving.

"George, is it you again?" Eisenhower asked Patton with eyes full of disappointment.

"Did I do something wrong?" Patton looked indignant. "While you weren't here, I relayed the news about the Erfurt train station to everyone. Was I trying to harm you?"

"And then you send your two air defense brigades, along with instigating several divisions, to the border?" Eisenhower immediately raised his voice. "I'm so glad I relieved you of your post as commander of the Third Army last month, otherwise your troops could be at Leipzig today!"

“Leipzig? If I were in your position, I would have driven all those damn Russians out of Germany the day Berlin was destroyed!” Patton’s enthusiasm grew even stronger, and he seemed unwilling to admit any wrongdoing.

Eisenhower was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, but the instant he raised his hand, he seemed to remember something, blinked, and put both his hand and words back down.

"Fine! That's what you said..." The generals, seeing Ike's angry expression, were all hesitant to speak.

“But, General,” General Brooks, who was sitting a little further away, spoke up. He was the commander of the Sixth Army, and Patton had called him that morning.

"I suddenly remembered something. According to the report from the soldiers in Veldek, they showed no intention of turning back before they saw the Soviet fighter jets crossing the border illegally. In other words, they stayed behind the escorting Mustang fighter jets and did not change course due to any other factors."

"Well then, I'd like to know something." Eisenhower composed himself and pressed on, "Did your divisions that were deployed to the border arrive at their destination before or after the Soviet warplanes passed through the border?"

“After the fighter jets crossed the border, General,” Brooks continued, “I think it’s very likely that the Soviet cross-border flights today were not directly related to our deployments. It’s entirely possible that the fighter jets spotted our convoy on the highway after they had crossed the border.”

"So, their original intention was to cross the line?" Eisenhower frowned.

"Moreover, we haven't intercepted any unidentified radio transmissions to the Soviet-occupied zone during this period, nor have we found any people crossing the border illegally. After ruling out the possibility of espionage, I think the problem must be with the Russians this time. Also, I think that apart from General Patton's slightly excessive behavior, there's nothing particularly worthy of criticism. After all, to be honest, when we heard that the military train in Erfurt had an accident, we were also on edge."

"Hmm..." The generals also began to discuss among themselves, seemingly finding some merit in what General Brooks said.

“Since the Soviet Union is the biggest problem,” Acton paused, “then let’s stop here for today. The troops already stationed at the border should not be withdrawn. For safety’s sake, continue to monitor the Soviet army’s movements from there.”

“George…” He looked meaningfully at Barton’s arrogant face, “I won’t say anything this time, but in short, there won’t be a next time.”

Barton said nothing, only gave a cold snort.

“Oh, right.” Eisenhower called over an officer next to him. “Quickly send a telegram to the commander-in-chief of the US forces in Austria, General Mark Clark, and tell them to be more vigilant about the movements of the Soviet forces in Austria. Europe is about to be in turmoil again.”

"Yes!"

"That's all for now, gentlemen. Meeting adjourned."

……

Now, Eisenhower stood at his bedroom window, gazing up at the charcoal-black night, and let out a long breath.

The American troops on the border, along with Patton, that troublesome fellow, almost dragged Germany into a major war—having survived the war against the Nazis, were they now going to war with the Soviet Union? This was definitely not a good thing.

Hopefully, this is just a misunderstanding. Three days have passed, and Ike's heart hasn't eased much. He's probably going to have another sleepless night.

At this time, the door rang.

"Come in." He looked and saw it was his deputy.

"General, this is an urgent telegram from the Soviet troops stationed in Germany. They say they have captured several unidentified armed men in Berlin and are preparing to interrogate them."

"Ah? Quick, let me see!" Eisenhower's eyes lit up as he took the telegram and began to read the text.

"Good, at least there's hope for a resolution to this matter." The general handed the telegram back. "Tell the Soviets that we will soon send several officers to participate in the interrogation of the prisoners. I will arrange their arrival time for tomorrow morning, and have the Soviets make the necessary arrangements."

"Yes, good night, General." The officer closed the door and left.

……

"Marshal Zhukov..." Eisenhower sighed, left alone in the room, "I hope that next time we meet, we can raise a glass to each other, just like that time..."

Chapter 77, Side Story (Part 3): Charlie of the Music Capital

Europe has fallen asleep in the night, leaving only busy people rushing about on the road.

Nothing can disturb the earth's slumber, not even when it is divided into parts. The war ended, and Germany was divided into four parts: one part to the Soviet Union, one part to the United States, and Britain and France each occupied a portion. A unified Germany was once again a broken piece of a puzzle.

The constant bickering and arguing were always between American and Soviet soldiers. Ordinary German civilians simply continued to live in their dilapidated homes or temporary settlements on the outskirts of cities, watching tanks and infantry march past their doorsteps, eating meager rations, and sleeping in cold, damp places. Everyone silently prayed that one day they could have their complete homes again.

Yes, Germany didn't argue, didn't complain, and had no right to interfere. It was just a former war-torn land divided by four sides, barely maintaining a bleak state.

It still proves the saying that there are always so many similar things in the world. Just because it is located to the south of Germany, there is another country that was also ravaged by war and was also divided by four sides - Austria.

……

In the spring of 1938, the citizens of Vienna lined both sides of the street to welcome an army that entered the city.

The flags hanging on the buildings behind them, and the small pieces of cloth they waved, all used the same design without exception: a bright red background with a distinctive black symbol inside a white circle in the center.

Yes, on this day, the Austrian-born Führer finally allowed the German army to march into his homeland.

Austria and Germany both use the same native language dictionary and were once part of the Holy Roman Empire. Since the empire's fall, the two countries have been arguing over a new, unified Germany. The two children who speak German have never been able to come together.

The Second German Reich, established by the Iron Chancellor Bismarck, did not include Austria. Compared to the former's Greater Germany, the latter could only be called Lesser Germany—similar names, but no cooperation.

In 1918, with the end of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, and Austria once again wanted to be incorporated into Germany. But this time, it was Britain and France that stopped its untimely idea.

Twenty years later, the Führer who had mentioned in his book *Mein Kampf* that he would "not hesitate to use force to establish a unified German state" finally fulfilled his promise. The swastika flag thus temporarily became the national flag of Austria. Under its shadow, Austria contributed money and manpower to the Axis powers for seven years, until March 1945, when the hammer and sickle army besieged Vienna.

The Germans left, taking with them the swastika flag that had been flying in front of the Vienna government building, and the beleaguered Third Reich. The skies over Austria became a place of conflict, with flags flying everywhere.

When will that familiar red and white flag fly again? There is no answer.

……

……